LaMelo Ball, potential No.1 pick in 2020 NBA Draft, and his manager Jermaine Jackson bought the Illawarra Hawks of Australian NBL. Ball spent the previous season playing with Hawks, after deciding to skip college.
According to ESPN, Ball and Jackson decided to buy the Hawks after the club faced financial difficulties. The financial terms of the transaction remained undisclosed.
“We own the team,” Jackson told ESPN. “It’s a done deal.”
According to Jackson, Ball has connected with the Illawarra fans and community during his time there and felt at home. When the 18-year-old heard the team is in trouble, he reached out to Jackson to see if something can be done to help. After talking about the situation, the two of them made the decision to simply buy the Hawks.
The purchase, however, is still to be confirmed by NBL. While the league acknowledged that Ball and Jackson are interested parties, it stated that they own the Hawks’ license, and no transfer request has been officially made.
LaMelo Ball played 12 games with Illawarra Hawks and had a strong showing by averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. Thanks to his performances in NBL, Ball has climbed the prospect rankings and established himself as a top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
